Can I weld to a brake rotor?

[Waorani]

I'm building a rotisserie to mount my 40 body on for repair, stripping, and paint. I'm using a couple of axle hub assemblies for my rotation. A set of rotors will fit easily on the hubs to make the locking mechanism that I want but I'm wondering if I can weld another piece to the rotors? Or is typical rotor steel not something you would want to weld to? I've got an alternative plan but welding to the rotors would make things a lot easier.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Most brake rotors and drums are iron not steel. You CAN weld to them but need the correct welding rod or wire plus sometimes preheat and post-weld treatment.

HTH,
Nick

 

[denis]

sounds familiar

 

[Velocity2]

You can do it but it is extremely hard and can blow up in your face if not done correctly. You need to pre-heat, weld with a arc or TIG (with no filler) and then heat it up a 2nd time ASAP after ewlding then wrap it up in insulation for cool down.

 

[Waorani]

Ok, I should have known that it can't be done, but that I can't do it. Plan B it is then. Thanks guys.

 

[Mace]

You can do it but it is extremely hard and can blow up in your face if not done correctly. You need to pre-heat, weld with a arc or TIG (with no filler) and then heat it up a 2nd time ASAP after ewlding then wrap it up in insulation for cool down.

Are you f'n nuts??? Blow up in your face???



Mig it. and call it good.



Or do you want me to go out in the garage and weld something to a rotor to prove that you are wrong..

 

[Velocity2]

Are you f'n nuts??? Blow up in your face???



Mig it. and call it good.



Or do you want me to go out in the garage and weld something to a rotor to prove that you are wrong..

My grandfather, til the day he died had shrapnel in his eyes because some old cast peice he was welding blew up in his face.....its not common, but I wouldnt like to find out!

Ask any good welder about welding on cast....

 

[Ian Rogers]

Mace is a welder!

 

[Waorani]

By the time Mace has posted his "mig it and call it good" I had already gone to plan B. I cut two 6" pieces of 2x6 1/4 wall tube and drilled holes to fit the lug pattern of the two hubs I'm using. Nuts will go inside the tube firmly attaching it to the hub/rotor and leaving me with a flat 6x6 area to weld to.

If I ever have need to weld to a brake rotor again (which I can't imagine why I would) I'll just go for it.

 

[D'Animal]

The only time I welded a chunk of Iron I threw it on my old charcoal BarBQue to heat it it. I welded it on the Bar-B-Que as well and let it cool in the Bar-B-Que.

It was the handle for the hand pump on my well, built in 1933. I did this piece myself and it has not broke yet. There is very little stress on it and it hasn't broken yet. I assume I did it correctly.

 

[Mace]

My grandfather, til the day he died had shrapnel in his eyes because some old cast peice he was welding blew up in his face.....its not common, but I wouldnt like to find out!

Ask any good welder about welding on cast....

Through his welding hood??? There must have been a VERY poor casting with a lot of porosity to explode. They use cast iron in high heat situations all the time. With proper safety gear I would not worry about it at all..

Cast iron does suck to weld. But I do not believe that rotors are cast iron, but cast steel instead (both are fairly garbage can terms for a wide selection of material properties) But I could easily be wrong.

I love using old drums and disks as bases for stands of some sort or other.. Never did anything but mig to them. And never had a failure.

That being said, I would NEVER weld anything to a 14 bolt housing. At least not any more

 

[MrMoMo]

I see brake rotors used all the time for pole bases... they used to have them in the bank to hold up the fuzzy rope things to make the lines. Course now the banks all rape everyone for the money so they can afford solid gold posts.....

Mig it.

I can see it blowing up in your face if you were using oxy acetlyne torches....

 

[Cube Dweller]

I can see it blowing up in your face if you were using oxy acetlyne torches....

Brazing cast iron is one of the more common ways to join it. Ni-rod works too.

Mace, I don't know how you got mig wire to stick to true cast iron( >0.90 pts of carbon). Cast steel is a difference subject.